
Dissolved air flotation
Buoyancy
Buoyancy or upthrust, is an upward force exerted by a fluid that opposes the weight of an immersed object. In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of the overlying fluid. Thus the pressure at the bottom of a column of fluid is greater than at the top of the …
What is a DAF system?
Dissolved air flotation (DAF) is a proven and effective physical/chemical technology for treating a variety of industrial and municipal process and wastewater streams. DAF systems are commonly used for the removal of oils & greases and suspended solids to meet a variety of treatment goals including:
What is DAF water treatment?
Dissolved air flotation (DAF) is a water treatment process designed to remove oils, solids, and greases. In fact, the process helps clarify wastewaters – and other waters – by eliminating different types of suspended matter. The DAF process dissolves air in the water under pressure – then releases it at atmospheric pressure.
What is a pretreatment DAF and why do you need one?
An industry may need to use a Pretreatment DAF to remove contaminants (e.g., product solids, oils and greases, heavy metals, etc.) that would negatively impact a biological wastewater treatment system downstream. In most cases, the wastewater contaminants must be chemically flocculated in order for the floatation system to remove them.
What is coagulant in a DAF system?
The coagulant enables the particles to form larger clusters for safe and effective removal. Water leaving the DAF tank is pumped into a pressure vessel (air drum) where the compressed air is present, resulting in saturation of the pressurized water with air.

How does a DAF system work?
DAF systems work by dissolving air into the wastewater. This creates thousands of micro-bubbles, and aerates the wastewater. This process floats and thickens the suspended material in the wastewater. The solids are then segregated for recovery or disposal.
What is involved in the DAF system of water treatment?
DAF is the process of removing suspended solids, oils and other contaminants via the use of air bubble flotation. Air is dissolved into water, mixed with the waste stream and released from solution while in intimate contact with the contaminants.
How does a DAF saturator work?
0:141:05Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) Systems - Paper - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipPressure in a flotation tank the released air forms tiny bubbles which adhere to the suspendedMorePressure in a flotation tank the released air forms tiny bubbles which adhere to the suspended solids in the water causing the solids to float to the surface.
How do you DAF?
1:203:41Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) System - Ideal DAF™ - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe aerated water will then combine with the waste water stream and enter into the DAF header boxMoreThe aerated water will then combine with the waste water stream and enter into the DAF header box where it will spread along the length of the DAF. And begin the separation.
Can DAF Remove cod?
Abstract: DAF was utilized in leachate treatment as a batch process and focused in colour and COD removal. Using DAF alone, 36 and 33 percent removal for COD and colour was obtained. Nevertheless, the removal increase up to 77 and 93 percent for COD and colour using coagulation process prior to DAF.
What is DAF sludge?
Dissolved air flotation or DAF sludge dewatering and filtering systems are used in a variety of industries and applications to remove suspended solids, fats, oils and greases from a variety of wastewaters.
What is activated sludge treatment process?
The activated sludge process is a means of treating both municipal and industrial wastewater. The activated sludge process is a multi-chamber reactor unit that uses highly concentrated microorganisms to degrade organics and remove nutrients from wastewater, producing quality effluent.
What is a plate pack DAF?
Plate Pack This type of system is characterized by tall tanks with corrugated plate packs. Water flows into it in a cross-flow configuration, so the distance traveled by the floating solids is greatly reduced. This makes it easy to separate the solids from wastewater.
How does coagulation work in water treatment?
Coagulation is the chemical water treatment process used to remove solids from water, by manipulating electrostatic charges of particles suspended in water. This process introduces small, highly charged molecules into water to destabilize the charges on particles, colloids, or oily materials in suspension.
What does DAF stand for?
"Delivered at frontier" (DAF) is a term used in international shipping contracts that requires a seller to deliver goods to a border location.
Why is dissolved air flotation important?
Flotation is increasingly being used to treat mineral and mining wastes. Users of the technology cite benefits including less sludge production, and efficient removal of substances such as heavy metals or oil wastes. DAF also can be used to recycle process water and materials.
What is the purpose of DAF?
While many industries use this system, the DAF wastewater treatment system was designed to remove three main types of contaminants from a wastewater stream. These types are suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand, and oils and greases.
What is the best way to treat wastewater?
One of the most effective ways to do so is with Dissolved Air Flotation equipment used in a system of the same name, also known as DAF. The DAF wastewater treatment system consists of many parts and has an entire science behind it. By knowing the basics of one of the best industrial water treatment systems, you’ll be better able to apply it to your own business.
Is DAF more environmentally friendly than traditional wastewater treatment?
DAF has a smaller carbon footprint, making it more environmentally-friendly than traditional systems. In the world of wastewater treatment, DAF is proving to be the popular way forward.
Is DAF wastewater treatment better than gravity?
Users of DAF wastewater treatment systems see several advantages over using traditional, gravity wastewater clarification. Primarily, this system has a great ability to handle bulk solids that tend to float as it can capture those solids before effectively removing them. This has made the system especially effective at removing biological solids from wastewater streams. DAF has a smaller carbon footprint, making it more environmentally-friendly than traditional systems.
About the DAF Process
DAF wastewater is put into a specific type of tank where it is combined with another type of water that is saturated with dissolved air. This treatment system helps to separate the solids from the liquids because the sludge attaches to small bubbles that are created in the mixing process.
Where are These Tanks Used?
DAF systems are used primarily in industrial settings. For example, many food and beverage companies put them to use, as well as oil refineries and chemical plants. These organizations gain a lot from the use of these systems, as do the people who eventually use the recycled water they are pumping out.
Why are DAFs Important?
Water treatment systems and DAFs ability to maximize solids recovery make a huge difference in our ability to recycle the water we use every single day. In fact, many water treatment products can remove anywhere between 85% to 95% of pollutants from wastewater, after which it is disinfected and put into our local waterways.
What is a DAF system?
DAF systems are equipment for the separation of solid particles, fats, and oils, designed to clarify wastewater (industrial and urban) or condition surface or marine water for its subsequent treatment and reuse. This equipment separates solids, fats, and oils in the water generating highly concentrated sludge.
What is a DAF flotation system?
The DAF FPHF flotation system is a separate system that uses a combination of cross flow and counter flow to remove high loads of contaminants at very high flow rates.
What is a DAF FPAC?
DAF FPACs are ideal equipment for the treatment of water with small to medium flow rates and with very high loads of suspended solids, which require a large flotation surface to ensure good flotation and separation of solids , being able to treat up to 40kg of dry matter per m².
Why is flotation air important?
Also, flotation air is necessary to improve flotation when the presence of a mixture of emulsions, oils, and solids affects the specific gravity of the particles. A recirculation pump redirects part of the clarified water leaving the DAF unit to a pressurization-saturation system. The recirculated water is pressurized by ...
What is a DAF system?
DAF systems are commonly used for the removal of oils & greases and suspended solids to meet a variety of treatment goals including: Product recovery and reuse. Pretreatment to meet sewer discharge limits. Pretreatment to reduce loading on downstream biological treatment systems.
What is DAF in wastewater treatment?
Dissolved air flotation (DAF) is a proven and effective physical/chemical technology for treating a variety of industrial and municipal process and wastewater streams. DAF systems are commonly used for the removal of oils & greases and suspended solids to meet a variety of treatment goals including: 1 Product recovery and reuse 2 Pretreatment to meet sewer discharge limits 3 Pretreatment to reduce loading on downstream biological treatment systems 4 Polishing of biological treatment effluent 5 Thickening of biosolids
How Does Dissolved Air Flotation Work?
DAF uses micro air bubbles (30-50 micron) that attach to impurities and flocculated particles and float them to the water’s surface. Then a skimming system removes the sludge to a desludging trough, and clean water is recovered.
DAF Clarification Steps
First, clean water needs to be accessible for a DAF system to startup. Clean water is necessary because DAF systems pressurize the water and mix it with pressurized air. Under pressure, the air dissolves, and when de-pressured, micro-bubbles form. The micro-bubbles are necessary to the cleaning process.
Do DAF Systems Manage Settled Sludge?
Most systems account for and manage settled sludge. DAF systems are ideal for wastewater streams that contain solids that float and settle.
Chemical Treatment with DAF Systems
Coagulants and flocculants are regularly used to pretreat wastewater before it enters a DAF system.
What Applications are DAF Clarifiers Used to Treat?
Due to the DAF clarifier design and technology, they can service many industries. DAF technology can incorporate into custom-built clarifiers to fit different water flows with low to high impurity levels. In general, they’re ideal for wastewater streams with oil, grease, and impurities that float or suspend.
Is a DAF System the Best Way to Treat Your Wastewater?
It’s hard to say without knowing the details of your application. There are many different DAF system designs to treat variable wastewater solids content and flow rates.
What is DAF in wastewater treatment?
Dissolved air flotation (also known as DAF) clarifies wastewater by removal of remaining fat, oil and grease (also known as FOG) from effluent which has already passed several primary treatment phases.
How is wastewater pumped into a flotation tank?
Wastewater is pumped into a flotation tank or basin and hit with dissolved air causing microscopic bubbles adhere to suspended solids causing them lift to the surface of the water where it may then be removed by a skimming device and drained toward a sludge discharge tank.

About The Daf Process
Where Are These Tanks used?
- As the name suggests, dissolved air flotation works by injecting pressurized air into a recycle stream, which is made of already-clarified DAF liquid waste. The system then combines and mixes the recycle stream with incoming wastewater in an internal contact chamber. In that chamber, the dissolved air comes out of the DAF liquid solution in the for...
Why Are Dafs Important?